Park Rapids Farmers Market
301 Eastern Ave. S.
Park Rapids, MN 56470
Walker Farmers Market
617 Michigan Ave. S.
Walker, MN 56484
American Legion
900 – 1st St. E
Park Rapids, MN 56470
Northern Bait Co
614 Main Ave S
Park Rapids, MN 56470
CONTACT US
SOCIAL MEDIA
@HoneyDewFarmMN
Create Your First Project
Start adding your projects to your portfolio. Click on "Manage Projects" to get started
Grow Year‑Round: Deep Winter Greenhouse Build - Together, We Can Grow Something Good.
Project type
U of M Grant
Date
2025
Location
Honeydew Farm — Northern Minnesota
Date
Currently Working on this Project
Project type
Sustainable Year-Round Growing Initiative
Date
Construction planned: Summer–Fall 2025
Target: Operational by Winter 2025–2026
Project Overview
Honeydew Farm is building a deep winter greenhouse designed to grow fresh produce year-round—even during Minnesota’s coldest months. This structure uses passive solar design and underground thermal heating to support local food production with minimal energy use. The project builds on their first greenhouse—affectionately named Stone Soup—which was constructed from salvaged materials with help from the community. This next step is all about creating a replicable model of resilient, small-scale farming for northern climates.
Why It Matters
Fresh, local vegetables—even in winter
Greater food access in rural Minnesota
A scalable solution for other small farms
Community-supported agriculture in action
Total Budget Goal
$30,000
($25,000 awarded through a University of Minnesota grant, with $20,000 in matching funds required to access the full amount)
Funding Use
Your donation helps fund the materials and infrastructure needed to complete the project, including polycarbonate panels, excavation work, insulation, thermal systems, and structural components not covered by the grant.
Honeydew Farm is proud to partner with the University of Minnesota to build a farm-scale Deep Winter Greenhouse, one of five in Greater Minnesota. This initiative brings sustainable innovation to cold-climate farming, enabling year-round production using solar design and thermal storage.
Funding Timeline:
We need $22,000 to unlock the full $25,000 grant, so we can complete a structure valued at $38,000 in materials and infrastructure.
Phase 1 – $15,000 grant: Secure materials and site preparation to begin growing.
Phase 2 – $8,000: Refinements and shared build costs following ribbon-cutting.
Phase 3 – $2,000: Host an educational open house and workshop for the community.
Supporter Impact:
This greenhouse means more harvesting—longer seasons, more CSA offerings, and earlier plant starts. Your support grows community food resilience, one pane and one season at a time.
Ready to support?
Donate to the GoFundMe – helps us meet grant benchmarks
Follow our updates – see progress, photos, and stories from the field
Get the Dirt First
Sign up for early access to preorder windows, farm updates, and seasonal specials.
Good things grow at honeydew.
.png)